Daddy Duke

  That was it. I mean, it’s not like I was looking for a “and I love you and want to make you a woman. Signed, Xavier” at the end, but something besides just a “—X” would have been nice.

  So, yeah, I was still pouting. But then, I was also still tingling. I’d fallen asleep hard the night before after Xavier was called away for his lawyer. It was late, sure, but I knew it was also the sheer excitement and thrill of it all that’d exhausted my adrenaline. I’d hit the pillow and gone right to dreamland, and all I’d dreamt about was him. All I dreamt about were all the amazing, dirty, hot as hell things he’d done to me. And that next day, as mad as I was in that car on the way to palace, I was also something else.

  Wet.

  It felt like my skin was being electrified — like I was being teased even without him near me. And mad or not, I wanted him, badly. I wanted him to do everything he’d done the night before and more.

  I wanted everything, and I wanted him to be the one to take it.

  The late afternoon shimmered in the sky, and my thighs squeezed together, my body tingling as the car wound up the long curved drive of the palace.

  “You’re here!”

  Callie jumped into my arms, her long blonde hair falling into my eyes and making me laugh as I hugged my friend tightly.

  “Oh, as if I would ever miss your sham wedding!”

  She made a face as I grinned at her. Call it gallows humor, or just making the best of a shitty situation, but that’s what the four of us had started calling this whole thing. Her “sham” wedding. I mean, it was. King Milton was awful, and gross, and a total sleaze-bag. But he was rich, and with Callie’s parents and their kingdom being in the financial straits they were, Milton’s offer to bail them out in exchange for Callie’s hand had been too much to say no to. It wasn’t even like her parents forced her into anything either. Callie volunteered, because she knew it’d save her kingdom.

  …I mean, I wanted to say I’d have done the same thing, but I wasn’t so sure. It was total shit that Callie was being forced into this arranged marriage thing as if we still lived in the dark ages, but I knew it was our job — me, Riley, and Faith — to be there for her.

  “Slice?”

  I looked past Callie, grinning at Faith sitting at a table with two open pizza boxes and a bottle of rosé. We were in Callie’s temporary quarters in Milton’s palace — temporary because after the wedding, well, she’d be in his quarters. Gross.

  “Uh, yeah, actually.”

  “More importantly, wine?” Callie sighed, gulping at her glass, pouring me one before I could even answer.

  “Drowning in our sorrows are we?”

  “In pizza and wine? Uh, yeah?”

  I grinned, putting my arm around her and hugging her close. “Hey, you’re going to get through this. And you know what? I’m going to make it my personal mission to find you a hot young thing to be your official, uh, what's the guy version of a mistress?”

  “A mister?”

  I snorted. “Whatever it is, I’m going to find him for you.”

  Callie pouted. “Does Xavier have any hot friends?”

  “Uh, duh?”

  Callie blushed, but I knew I was too. Xavier had a pretty small group of close friends, and yeah, they were good looking guys.

  “Well, there’s King Hayden.”

  Callie went red. “Oh, him. Yeah I think I met him at my eighteenth birthday or something. Kinda growly and like, huge?”

  “That’s the one.”

  She grinned. “I mean, I guess he’d do.”

  “There’s also King Sven?” Faith added.

  “Eh, I’ve seen him at a few functions. He seems a little intense. He’s got that whole dark cloud aura thing going on.”

  I giggled as I snagged a slice of pizza. “You’re being very particular about your imaginary future personal man-whore you know.”

  “It’s the night before my wedding, I’m allowed to be.”

  I sighed. “Okay picky. How about Prince Cole? That guy is hot. All those tattoos and—”

  “I think he’s got a girlfriend.”

  The words blurted from Faith’s mouth, and I raised a brow as I turned to her.

  “Uh, okay?”

  She blushed. “You know, just saying. I think he’s out.”

  I peered at her. “Yeah, you know this is all pretend right?”

  Faith blushed deeper, taking a big sip from her wine.

  “Ummm.” I arched a brow at her.

  “What?”

  “This have anything to do with that thing you were going to tell me about later but that I know you well enough to know you won’t?”

  “Wha— no, I—” Faith sputtered, stammering as her face turned red.

  “Wait, what thing?” Callie crossed her arms over her chest.

  “Care to tell us, Faith?”

  “Uh, no,” she muttered, staring into her wine glass.

  “Wait, is this about her tattoo?”

  Faith swore and yanked the long sleeve of her blouse down some more.

  I laughed. “Dude, maybe pick a spot a little less in the open for your next hidden tattoo, okay?”

  “Hang on, does the tat thing have to do with a guy, and you’re holding out on us?”

  “Can we please go back to the pizza and wine pity party?”

  I laughed. “Fine, but only because today and tomorrow are about Callie. Don’t think you’re off the hook entirely, Lafleur. I’m onto your shenanigans.” I frowned. “Hey speaking of shenanigans, where the hell is Riley?”

  Callie snorted, rolling her eyes. “Back in her room. She’s in major pout mode about something.”

  “Yeah her and a flask of something strong,” Faith added primly.

  “Well, we’ll find her later. For now…” I sank into one of the chairs around the table. “I say we kill both of these pizzas and then binge Rom-coms all night.

  “Deal,” Callie sighed, pulling up a chair. “Might as well do what I want before His Highness doesn’t let me do anything after tomorrow.” She glanced at Faith and me. “Listen, single, un-forced-into-arranged-marriage friends, let me just say, go out there and you do you. Go wild and have fun before fate drops a turd on your front steps.”

  “Hey,” Faith reached over and squeezed her hand. “This is going to be okay.”

  Callie made a face. “Yeah, well, it’d be a lot more okay if I’d gone out and just, you know…” She blushed. “Lost it to some guy. Like, literally, anyone but King Milton.” She shuddered, and I felt my stomach churn. Yeah, I did not envy her having to loser her v-card to freaking Milton. There was no sugar-coating that one.

  “So, my bridal advice to two of my best friends?” Callie raised her glass. “Go out there and get laid, okay?”

  Faith and I snorted, clinking glasses with her as we all devolved into giggles.

  Faith crashed halfway through You’ve Got Mail. Callie made it past the first few scenes of Love, Actually before she also conked out on the big couch. But me? I was still wide awake, and I had Callie’s words blazing through my head.

  I knew she’d been mostly joking, but still, I couldn’t get it out of my head. Because every part of me couldn’t stop thinking about Xavier. It’s not like I was due to be forced into some sort of arranged marriage or anything like that, but I knew firsthand how much life could change in the blink of an eye. First my mother, getting sick how she had and going so quickly. And then my father turning out to be the monster he was.

  Life was short, and life changed fast, and not going after what you wanted, and what made you feel alive was a crime.

  …And I was done not going after what I wanted.

  I knew Xavier was probably a little freaked out about what’d happened. I knew he was probably avoiding me and keeping his distance because he was worried about me, and about hurting me. But that just meant I had to show him how much he wasn’t going to. I had to show him that it was staying away from me that wouldn’t be good for me.

  And s
uddenly, I knew exactly what I needed to do — what I wanted to do more than anything.

  I turned the movie off and pulled blankets over my friends asleep on the couch before I tiptoed out of the room. I crept out of Callie’s quarters, my heart pounding as I headed towards the guest wing of the palace.

  Oh, I knew what I was about to do alright.

  …And I wasn’t letting him tell me no again.

  Chapter 8

  Xavier

  I growled, prowling the balcony off of the room I was staying in. I sipped on the glass of good scotch in my hand, my eyes scanning over the magnificent view of the kingdom from the palace balcony.

  …But I wasn’t seeing a damn thing. All I could see, right there in my eye, was Lola.

  I hated that I’d left her behind like that. I’d told myself I was protecting her, but deep down, I knew it was about me as well. I’d run, like a fucking coward. And worse, I hadn’t even told her what was really going on. I’d just left her to come to her own conclusions, which was worse.

  I knew she’d arrived, but I’d kept busy. First, I’d reluctantly joined some of the other royal men who were guests of the wedding in a cocktail hour with King Milton himself. Good God, the man was a piece of shit. A terrible king, a worse leader, and an all-around failure of a human. The cocktail hour turned out to be Milton throwing himself a bachelor party. I’d arrived thinking there’d be some drinks and a few cordial talks about politics and the such. Instead, I’d walked into blaring music, flashing lights, and Milton drunk in a throne with four naked strippers cavorting all over him.

  Yeah, fuck that.

  I only knew Princess Callie — his bride to be — a little, but she was one of Lola’s best friends. She was a smart, gorgeous girl, and even though I knew this was arranged and all part of paying off some debts, I still hated the idea that a girl like her was going to marry a fuckwad like Milton. My mind wandered to Lola being forced into the same situation, and my anger turned to rage as I paced the balcony.

  Milton didn’t deserve to be in the same room as Callie, I knew that much. And if there was any justice in this world, someone good would come and steal her away from that piece of shit.

  I shook my head as I downed the last of my drink. And quite easily, my thoughts drifted back to, well, really the only thing I’d been thinking about at all since the night before.

  Lola.

  I knew all the reasons I should keep away. Beyond the bullshit with Shana, I knew deep down I was bad news for her. I came with baggage — lots of it. My divorce and the trial and all of that, but also my darkness from my time in the service, when I’d been younger. And even if I wanted to say fuck it, our age difference wasn’t something you ignore. Fuck, I was more than twice her age, and part of me wanted to scream how wrong that was, for her. She deserved a younger man — someone who could go see the world with her, and take her to clubs, or whatever it was young couples did.

  Something darkened inside of me, and the idea burned.

  But fuck that. I’d seen the world with her, for years. And I’d provided for her, and cared for her, and loved her. And really, I was pretty damn sure “clubs” were the last place Lola ever wanted to go. She just wasn’t that kind of girl.

  …So many reasons why I should stay away, and yet there I was tearing down every single one of them, one by one.

  And finally, something snapped.

  Fuck this.

  Fuck the age difference. Fuck what people would say. And especially fuck Shana and her bullshit. I’d tasted the forbidden fruit. I’d flown too close to the sun. I’d seen what life could be like with Lola, and I couldn’t go back to the darkness.

  And I wouldn’t.

  I slammed the glass down on the banister and whirled, storming back into the room and heading for the door. Forget all of it. I’d fight the damn world to keep her by my side — as mine.

  My body throbbed with determination, my pulse roaring as I turned the knob and yanked open the door to my quarters…

  …To find none other than her, standing there, red faced, eyes wide, and her fist raised as if she’d been about to knock.

  “Lola,” I growled.

  “Hi,” she whispered.

  “Honey, what are you—”

  Her lips hit mine before I could even think, and suddenly, no other thoughts in the world existed.

  Chapter 9

  Lola

  I moaned, my arms wrapping around his neck as I kissed him liked I’d never let him go. He was stiff for one second before suddenly, he came alive, making me shiver as his powerful hands grabbed me and yanked me against him. He pulled me into the room, kissing me hungrily and fiercely as he kicked the door shut and pushed me up against it.

  My hips rolled against his, his thick bulge pressing into me as I held him tight, losing myself in that kiss. Until suddenly, like lightning striking, his lips left mine, and he pulled away.

  “No, Lola—”

  “Don’t say that, please.”

  “We can’t do this!” he hissed.

  “Yes we can!”

  “No,” the word growled from his lips.

  “Why not, and don’t you dare say because of our ages or because I’m too young to know what I want.”

  His stern look faded to a small smile as he reached out and tucked a lock of my hair back from my face.

  “I wouldn’t dare say either of those things, sweetheart,” he purred before his face darkened again. “There’s…there’s more to this than you and me.”

  “I don’t care what other people—”

  “Lola.”

  His gruff yet soothing voice stopped me.

  “I should have told you this earlier. I didn’t know how. Now,” he shook his head, his eyes flashing. “Now I know there’s no other way than to tell you everything, because the alternative is walking away from this—”

  I stiffened, but his look was fierce as he held my gaze.

  “But that is never happening.”

  I nodded, taking deep breaths.

  “What is it?”

  And then he told me all of it — everything about Shana, and her legal team, and all the shit she was trying to pull. I wanted to scream, or to find his ex and smack her for being such a horrible person, or both. But mostly, I wanted to love him. Mostly, I just wanted to make it all better for him, and slip into his arms and against his lips and tell him I was there however he needed me.

  “But this is ridiculous! She can’t—”

  “She can,” he growled. “It is what it is for now. Lola, baby, I can’t—”

  “You were there when no one else was!”

  “This is wrong, Lola.”

  “Then why do I feel this way?” I whispered, holding his arms. “And why do you?”

  Xavier looked away, his muscles clenching under my fingers and his jaw tightening.

  “I—”

  “Don’t you want me?”

  He growled, this low, animalistic sound as his eyes blazed fire into mine.

  “You know I do,” he hissed.

  Fuck, there was that darkness that surrounded him sometimes. That powerful, irresistible edge that he got that just did things to me. And right there, it was doing all sorts of things to me. I licked my lips, pulling against him as my hands slid up his firm chest and my eyes locked with his.

  “Don’t you want to be the first one to fuck my little pussy, Daddy?”

  There wasn’t even a second’s hesitation before his hands grabbed me tight, and suddenly, we were whirling as his lips crashed into mine. I moaned, kissing him hungrily as I half jumped and half was hauled up into his arms. My legs wrapped around his waist, my arms around his neck as his big hands grabbed my ass and carried me bodily across the room.

  We crashed into a wall, both of us grunting but never breaking the kiss. He pressed into me, my legs spreading wide around his muscled hips. I’d arrived at his door straight from Callie’s quarters, where I’d changed into a tank top and sleep shorts, and I shivered at
the way his hard body felt against me with so little on. I moaned as I felt his rock hard cock press between my thighs, pulsing against my hot, wet pussy.

  We parted, and he set me on the ground just long enough for both of us to tear our clothes off. His t-shirt and dark jeans hit the floor the same time as my tank top and shorts, and then suddenly, I was right back in his big arms. Only this time, there was nothing between us. This time, I could feel every inch of his thick, gorgeous cock throbbing against my belly.

  “Come,” he growled, panting as he pulled away from the kiss and took my hands in his.

  “Where?”

  He grinned hungrily as he pulled me into him.

  “I told you, baby girl,” he purred. “When I take you, it’ll be like a princess. Pampered. Ready. In a bed — my bed. Silk sheets at your back, and covered in jewels. Because you’re not just a princess, angel.”

  His eyes flashed fiercely as he leaned close, his lips brushing mine.

  “You’re my princess.”

  Chapter 10

  Lola

  Xavier pulled me into the huge, white tile and softly lit bathroom off of his guest quarters. He scooped me up in his arms, kissing me deeply before he sat me on the edge of the marble sink as he turned to start the water in the big, sunken, porcelain tub in the middle of the room.

  I bit my lip, watching the way his muscles rippled as he leaned over to test the water temperature before turning back and setting his eyes on me.

  I shivered eagerly.

  He moved back towards me, but instead of into my arms, he grinned as he reached for the long candle-lighter on the edge of the sink. The whole marble countertop was adorned with a number of soft white candles, and slowly, Xavier started to light every single one. When they were lit, he turned and clicked off the light, and I gasped as the room turned into this flickering, gorgeously romantic scene.

  He moved back into me, this time pushing my legs apart as his lips found mine, his hands on my hips.